The popular event attracts visitors from across the country and overseas to the coastal fishing town of Galaxidi, about 124 miles west of Athens.

"Clean Monday" celebrations mark the end of carnival season and the beginning of the Greek Orthodox Lent fast.

"It's an outburst. You let off steam. What else to do?" said participant Efi. "If you are feeling downcast in Athens, the villages, anywhere with this crisis, you come here and let off steam."

31PHOTOS

Flour War in Greece

See Gallery

Flour War in Greece

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

A reveler (C) covers his face as he celebrates "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

A reveler celebrates "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

A reveler celebrates "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

A reveler celebrates "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

A woman blows into a boy's eyes to remove flour as revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

A reveler celebrates "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

A reveler celebrates "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Two revelers kiss as they celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

A reveler celebrates "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers take a "selfie" as they celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers celebrate "Ash Monday" by participating in a colorful "flour war", a traditional festivity marking the end of the carnival season and the start of the 40-day Lent period until the Orthodox Easter,in the port town of Galaxidi, Greece, February 27, 2017.

(REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Revelers throw flour during the 'flour war' as part of celebrations of the Clean Monday or Ash Monday in Galaxidi on February 27, 2015. The celebrations of Clean Monday mark the start of the 40-days lent until the Orthodox easter.

(Photo by Ayhan Mehmet/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Revelers throw flour during the 'flour war' as part of celebrations of the Clean Monday or Ash Monday in Galaxidi on February 27, 2015. The celebrations of Clean Monday mark the start of the 40-days lent until the Orthodox easter.

(Photo by Ayhan Mehmet/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Revelers throw flour during the 'flour war' as part of celebrations of the Clean Monday or Ash Monday in Galaxidi on February 27, 2015. The celebrations of Clean Monday mark the start of the 40-days lent until the Orthodox easter.

(Photo by Ayhan Mehmet/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Revelers throw flour during the 'flour war' as part of celebrations of the Clean Monday or Ash Monday in Galaxidi on February 27, 2015. The celebrations of Clean Monday mark the start of the 40-days lent until the Orthodox easter.

(Photo by Ayhan Mehmet/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Revelers throw flour during the 'flour war' as part of celebrations of the Clean Monday or Ash Monday in Galaxidi on February 27, 2015. The celebrations of Clean Monday mark the start of the 40-days lent until the Orthodox easter.

(Photo by Ayhan Mehmet/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Up Next

See Gallery

Discover More Like This

HIDE CAPTION

SHOW CAPTION

of

SEE ALL

BACK TO SLIDE

Villagers fill hundreds of bags with baking flour, tinted with food coloring, to be used as bombs.

The battle starts with the ringing of cow bells and then the flour flies as participants parade, fire flour bombs and try to douse each other with as much flour as possible.

Anyone who does not wish to be covered can watch from across the village quay. Villagers cover their houses with plastic sheeting and don goggles and plastic suits.

The custom is believed to have originated in 1801 when Galaxidi residents defied the Ottoman rulers occupying Greece by celebrating the forbidden carnival and painting their faces with ash while dancing through the streets.

(Reporting by Deborah Kyvrikosaios in Greece; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)